Quench press



Sept. 16, 1969 BEARER 3,467,367

QUENCH PRESS Filed Sept. 19, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. D 1.. fif/MEK G. L. BEARER QUENCH PRESS Sept. 16, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1966 Ill Inll llllll INVENTOR. GERALD z. Beflfle'k G. L. BEARER QUENCH PRESS Sept. 16, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Sept. 19, 1966 INVENTOR. GERALD L. Bf/HPER Sept. 16, 1969 Filed Sept. 19, 1966 PEE SSUEE SW\TCH G. L. BEARER QUENCH PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 SET LOW I25 PSI SET HI 500 PSI SET LOW 150 PS! SET HI 80o PSI INVENTOR. 6R/) D L BEARER United States Patent 3,467,367 QUENCH PRESS Gerald L. Bearer, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Lee Wilson Engineering Company, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 580,222 Int. Cl. C21d 1/62, 1/00 US. Cl. 266-6 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates in general to a quench press and more particularly to a quenching fixture for use in a quench press to rigidly hold a structural shape from deforming during quenching.

The invention may be incorporated in a quenching fixture, comprising, in combination, a quenching frame, a first set of groups of upwardly extending contact fingers on said quenching frame, a second set of groups of downwardly extending contact fingers on said quenching frame, first motive means on said quenching frame connected to move one of said sets away from and toward the other of said sets to contact upper and lower surfaces of a structural shape to be quenched, means to establish said other of said sets in a first reference plane, a third set of groups of side contact fingers on said quenching frame, a fourth set of groups of side contact fingers on said quenching frame, second motive means on said quenching frame connected to move one of said third and fourth sets generally horizontally away from and toward the other of said third and fourth sets to contact opposite side surfaces of any structural shape to be quenched, means in said first motive means to apply a first force substantially equally on each of said groups of contact fingers in said one of said first and second sets, means in said second motive means to apply a second force substantially equally on each of said groups of contact fingers in said one of said third and fourth sets, and means to establish said other of said third and fourth sets in a second reference plane generally perpendicular to said first reference plane, whereby said fingers may be moved toward each other by said motive means during a quenching operation as any said quenchable structural shape contracts during cooling to maintain the quenchable structural shape straight relative to said first and second reference planes.

In many structural shapes such as I and H beams, weldments, flats, girders, angles, interlocking sheet pilings and the like, it is often desirable to heat treat such structural shapes including quenching in order to improve the strength and metallurgical properties of the structural shape. This quenching is usually a liquid quench in a water bath, but may also include oil or air quenching and as such is a relatively rapid cooling of the structural shape so that it often tends to distort. Where the structural shape has a longitudinal central axis which is horizontal, for example, the shape tends to bend away from the central axis in both a horizontal and a vertical plane. In such case, a quenching fixture is most desirable to hold the structural shape rigid during quenching. In many cases of prior art attempts to hold the beam or structural shape rigid, there have not been adequate provisions to "ice hold the beam straight nor to follow-up the contractile movement of the beam in all three dimensions as it cools and shrinks. In the case of an I beam, for example lying on its side with the web horizontal and the two flanges vertlcal, some prior quenching fixtures held the two flanges between vertical stops and clamped the Web in a vertical direction. Then as the beam was quenched, it cooled and shrank and thus with the shrinkage of the web, the flanges pulled away from the side vertical stops and thus they were not effective to contain the flanges against warpage. If the side vertical stops were made close enough together to exactly contain the flanges of the I beam after it cooled, then they were too close together to receive such flanges when the beam was hot and thus the flanges would be distorted to an out of parallel position because of the toe-in at the bottom of the physical stops. Also prior art quenching fixtures had the disadvantages of two separate rigid frames each of which was rigid in horizontal and vertical directions and these two frames were attempted to be clamped together with the beam or structural shape therebetween. This type of construction made it extremely difficult to try to maintain the two frames exactly parallel and straight so that the structural shape to be quenched could be maintained flat in a reference plane.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture which is lighter in weight and more economical than prior quenching fixtures of similar size and capacity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching press which will adequately hold a structural shape while it is being quenched.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture to handle a variety of sizes without the need to change adaptors for each size and cross-sectional change.

Another object of the invention is to provide side clamps to maintain constant pressure regardless of width changes in the section of the structural shape due to temperature changes during cooling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture with controllable vertical and horizontal pressure independently to suit the particular section being treated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture with side clamps maintained at degrees or at any other angle to the vertical clamps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture able to clamp a structural shape having a change in cross-sectional shape along the length thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture which is able to accommodate a single large structural shape or two smaller structural shapes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture capable of clamping a structural shape in other than a geometrically flat plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture capable of clamping a structural shape into a predetermined camber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a quenching fixture with a vertical clamp and two opposing side clamps each of which may be independently adjusted in clamping pressure.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a quench press embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of an adaptor to adapt the quenching press to accommodate two structural shapes FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view showing use of the adaptor of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged side eleveational view of the press of FIGURE 1 showing structural details;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of a portion of the quenching fixture;

FIGURE 7 is an isometric view of a modified adjusta ble side clamp; and,

FIGURE 8 is a schematic hydraulic and electrical diagram.

The figures of the drawing show a quench press 11 embodying the invention. This quench press 11 includes a movable quenching fixture 12 movable on a fixed frame 13. This fixed frame 13 has fixed uprights 14 on which the quenching fixture 12 may move vertically into and out of a quench pit 15, shown in FIGURE 5. The quenching fixture 12 has a main girder 18 parallel to a longitudinal central axis 19 which in this case is disposed horizontally for convenience in introducing a beam or structural shape 20 to be quenched. Such structural shape 20 is introduced longitudinally into the end of the quench press 11 parallel to the central axis 19.

The quench press 11 carries quenching cylinders 22 acting between the fixed frame 13 and the quenching fixture 12 to lower and raise the quenching fixture 12 into and out of the quench pit 15.

The quenching fixture 12 has rods 23 depending from the main girder 18. A pair of rods are joined together near the bottom by supporting plates 24 and these supporting plates carry other plates 25 at right angles thereto with both sets of plates 24 and 25 in generally vertical planes. The upper end of the plates 25 carry a series of upright contact fingers 26 with slightly convex contact ends. These contact ends are upper surfaces disposed generally in a horizontal plane which may be considered a reference plane as contact surfaces to contact and support a lower surface of a structural shape 20 to be quenched.

The quenching fixture 12 carries on the main girder 18 a series of vertical clamping cylinders 29. A movable piston rod 30 in each extends downwardly to a cross bar 31. This cross bar carries a series of transverse plates 32 and the plates 32 carry other plates 33 at right angles thereto. The plates 32 and 33 are disposed in generally vertical planes and the lower ends of the plates 33 carry downwardly extending contact fingers 34 each with convex contact ends disposed generally in a horizontal plane as contact surfaces to contact an upper surface of a structural shape 20 to be quenched. The plates 32 and 33 are arranged in groups, one group moved by each vertical clamp cylinder 29. The plurality of groups makeup a set of groups of downwardly extending plates and downwardly extending contact fingers 34 to engage the structural shape 20. The vertical clamp cylinders 29 act to relatively vertically move the upwardly extending fingers 26 and the downwardly extending contact fingers 34 and in the preferred embodiment shown, the clamp cylinders 29 move the downwardly extending contact fingers 34.

Transporting rollers 37 are dependently carried from each group of plates 32, 33. These transporting rollers 37 may be driven, for example, by a chain drive 38,.and motive means 39 to drive the structural shape 20 into the quenching fixture when the fixture is open, as shown quenching fixture 12 to be above the water line 40 when the quenching fixture is lowered into the quench pit 15 by the quenching cylinders 22. The transporting rollers 37 being carried on the plates 32 and 33, will be lowered with these plates so that upon the initial lowering of the plates 32 the structural shape 20 will be lowered and the flange thereof will engage the upwardly extending contact fingers 26.

Each group of upper plates 32 and 33 also carries side contact plates 43 and 44 slidable in guides 42. The first set of side contact plates 43 are carried along one side of the longitudinal central axis 19. The second set of side contact plates 44 are carried on the other side of the central axis 19. The first set of side contact plates 43 carry a first set of side contact fingers 45 similar to the convex end contact fingers 26 or 34. The second set of side contact plates 44 carries a second set of side contact fingers 46 similar to the fingers 45. These side contact fingers 45 and 46 are each disposed in generally vertical planes disposed to contact the sides of the structural shape 20. As shown in FIGURE 5, these side contact fingers will engage the outer surfaces of the flanges of the shape 20. First and second sets of side or horizontal fluid cylinders 47 and 48 I are provided to move the side contact plates 43 and 44, re-

spectively. These cylinders are carried on uprights 49 in turn carried on the upper plates 32 and 33. Accordingly, the side contact fingers and raise and lower with the vertical clamping cylinders 29. The uprights 49 carry side guide rollers 50 to help guide the structural shape 20 along the longitudinal central axis 19 during movement of the shape 20 into the quenching fixture 12. The vertical clamp cylinders 29 may be considered first motive means to relatively move the contact fingers 26 and 34. The first set of side cylinders 47 may be considered second motive means connected to move one of said sets of side contact fingers 45 and 46 generally horizontally away from and toward the other of said sets. The second set of side cylinders 48 may be considered a third motive means on the quenching fixture connected to move the second set of side contact fingers 46 toward and away from the first set of side contact fingers 45.

FIGURE 2 shows an adaptor made up of a central plate 61 and two vertical plates 62 which may be welded or otherwise fastened together. FIGURE 3 shows how each such adaptor '60 may be mounted in the quenching fixture 12 with the vertical plates 62 straddling one of the transverse lower plates 24 and with the central plate 61 resting thereon. The vertical plates 62 alsofit between two adjacent plates 25 to restrain this'adaptorv from movement in all directions except vertically upwardly. This permits the adaptor 60 to be inserted in a row along the longitudinal central axis 19 to accommodate two smaller structural shapes 63, as shown in FIGURE 3.

' may be swiveled about the pivot 67, and clamped by the bolt 68 at.any adjustable angle to dispose the side contact fingers at some angle other than exactly vertical. This may .used with special structural shapes wherein the surfaces to be clamped are other than exactlyvertical.

.FIGURE 8 schematically illustrates the electricalv and hydraulic circuits-In this FIGURE 8, only one. of each of the vertical clamping cylinders 29, side cylinders 47 and side cylinders 48 are shown andeach of the cylinders in a set is connected in parallel with the single one of the in FIGURE 5. The structural shape 20, shown in FIG- i URE 5, is by way of example an I beam lying on its side with the web portion of the beam horizontal and the flange portions vertical. Accordingly, the lower edge of the flanges rest on the transporting rollers 37 so that upon rotation thereof the beam is driven into the quenching fixture 12. The motive means 39 is positioned high on the set illustrated in FIGURE 8. A motor 71-dr-ives a large pump 72 anda small pump 73. As an example, the large pump 72 may deliver'thirty gallons per minute and the small'pump 73 three gallons per minute. The large pump a 72 supplies fluid under pressure, in this case oil, to the three sets of cylinders 29, 47 and 48 through a main line 74. Directional control valves 75, 76 and 77 are connected to control the shut-off and direction of fluid flow to each of the sets of cylinders 29, 47 and 48, respectively. Fluid flow through the directional control valve 75 to the Vertical clamp cylinder 29 is also through a counterbalance valve 78. This counterbalance valve maintains line pressure in the first set of cylinders 47 to make sure that these cylinders 47 and the first set of side contact plates 43 move in and clamp against the structural shape 20 ahead of the vertical clamp cylinders 29.

The small pump 73 delivers fluid through a second line 79 and through check valves 80 and 81 to the vertical clamp cylinders 29 and the second set of horizontal cylinders 48, respectively. Check valves 82 and 83 prevent this secondary flow or incremental pressure from the small pump 73 from affecting the first set of horizontal cylinders 47. A shut-off valve 84 may be closed to prevent flow of this supplemental oil to the second set of horizontal cylinders 48. These cylinders 48 have a piston rod extension 85 on which a physical stop such as a split collar 86 may be adjustably clamped to adjust the length of travel of the side cylinders 48. A pressure switch 89 is actuated by the incremental fluid pressure in the vertical clamp cylinders 29 when this cylinder clamps the contact fingers 34 on the structural shape 20. This pressure switch 89 controls actuation of solenoids 91 and 92 to actuate pump control devices 93 and 94, respectively, on the pumps 72 and 73, respectively. Actuation of the pump control devices 93 and 94 caused the pumps 72 and 73 to apply high pressure clamping forces to the structural shape 20.

OPERATION It will first be assumed that a single structural shape 20 is being clamped in the quenching fixture 12. The shape 20 is driven longitudinally into the quenching fixture 12 by the transporting rollers 37 until it is longitudinally in position. Next the directional valves 75, 76 and 77 are moved to the clamp closed position which is to the left as viewed in FIGURE 8. This movement may be done manually or by any suitable means such as electric or fluid power. With the motor 71 running and pumps 72 and 73 delivering fluid at a first lower rate, for example as indicated on FIGURE 8, 125 p.s.i. for pump 72 and 150 p.s.i. for pump 73, fluid will flow to the three sets of clam-ping cylinders 29, 47 and 48. The pump 72 will supply the main fluid flow to move the three sets of cylinders at a moderate rate toward clamping of the structural shape 20. The supplemental flow from the small pump 72 which is fed to the set of side cylinders 48 but not to the set of side cylinders 47, will make sure that the set of cylinders 48 reach the physical stop 86 before the structural shape 20 is clamped radially between the side cylinders 47 and 48. This stopping of the side cylinders 48 by the physical stops 86, establishes the side contact fingers 46 in a first reference plane. Next when the set of side cylinders 47 clamp the beam or structural shape 20, the first set of side contact fingers 45 will be in a second reference plane parallel to the first reference plane and parallel to the longitudinal central axis 19.

The counterbalance valve 78 maintains line pressure on the set of side contact cylinders 47 so that such cylinders will clamp before the vertical clamping cylinders 29. This means that the cylinders 29 are the last to clamp on the structural shape 20 with the contact fingers 34 and 26 on opposite sides of the web portion of this structural shape 20. If the vertical clamp cylinders 29 were to clamp before the side cylinders 47 and 48, this could prevent the side cylinders 47 from reacting against the side cylinders 48 at the physical stops 86.

When the structural shape is clamped in both vertical and horizontal directions, the fluid pressure will increase to actuate the pressure switch 89. This actuates the solenoids 91 and 92 to actuate the pump control devices 93 and 94, which in turn controls the pumps 72 and 73 to apply high clamping pressure, for example 500 and 800 p.s.i., respectively. The fact that the set of side cylinders 48 is now clamped at a higher pressure than the set of side cylinders 47, assures that the physical stops 86 will be against the cylinders to maintain the first reference plane against which the set of side cylinders 47 react. This will establish the straightness of the structural shape 20 while it is being quenched. During quenching the temperature of the structural shape 20 may drop from a temperature of about 1700 degrees F. to near room temperature and the shrinkage during this cooling may be in the order of /8 inch per foot. For a 60 foot long beam 20, this shrinkage can be as much as 7 or 8 inches in length and for a 36 inch wide beam 29 between flanges the shrinkage can be as much as of an inch. The side contact fingers 46 will remain in the first reference plane because of the physical stops 86 and yet the side cylinders 47, urged by the high pressure, e.g. 500 p.s.i., will move forwardly to maintain this constant clamping pressure on the structural shape 20. This of an inch movement, for example, is extremely important in maintaining the structural shape 20 in the desired reference plane without any warpage. Also the vertical cylinders 29 will move downward slightly as the thickness of the web portion shrinks during cooling. This also maintains this web portion flat in a reference plane without warpage. The fact that the contact fingers are slightly convex permits longitudinal shrinkage of the structural shape 20 without harmful deformation into the surfaces of the structural shape 20.

The reference planes established by the side contact fingers 45 and 46 have been described as planes yet this need not be a geometrically flat plane. It might be a curved plane or an angled reference plane, as determined by the setting of the physical stops 86 along the quench press 11. This will permit quenching and maintaining in a reference plane structural shapes which are not uniform in crosssectional shape throughout the length thereof. For example, weldments or other shapes such as cantilever beams which get progressively narrower toward one end can be easily maintained in a curved or angled reference plane during quenching. Also a predetermined camber can be built into a structural shape by adjusting the stops 86. Such a reference plane which deviates from a flat geometric plane can easily be established by the adjustable stops 86 and yet the other set of cylinder 47 will clamp the structural shape against this reference plane and will establish a second reference plane of the corresponding side contact fingers 45 which may or may not be parallel to the first reference plane.

When the structural shape 20 has been properly clamped against the reference plane, the quenching cylinders 22 may be actuated to lower the entire quenching fixture 12 into the quench pit 15. It is held there for the proper length of quenching time and then raised, whereupon the clamping cylinders may be opened by moving the directional control valves 75-77 back to the right, as viewed in FIGURE 8. The fixture 12 may be left in the clamped open position by moving the directional control valves back to the neutral position as shown in FIGURE 8. The quenching fixture 12 may also be used for normalizing, as well as for quenching.

Where two structural shapes 63 are to be simultaneously quenched, as shown in FIGURE 3, then the adaptor 60 may easily be slipped into place in a longitudinal row down the center of the quenching fixture 12. The two structural shapes 63 are again driven into the quenching fixture by the transporting rollers 37. Movement of the directional control valves 75-77 to the left will again clamp the two structural shapes 63. In this case the shutoff valve 84 is closed so that the incremental fluid flow from pump 73 does not go to the cylinders 48 but only to the vertical cylinders 29. Now cylinders 47 and 48 each receive the same pressure and move the structural shapes 63 inwardly against reference planes established by the row of adaptors. Each side of the row of adaptors 60 then becomes a reference plane with the side cylinders 47 and 48 laterally clamping the shapes 63 against such reference planes.

The incremental pressure from the small pump 73 is then applied only to clamping cylinders 29 to actuate the pressure switch 89 and through the solenoids 91 and 92 establishing the high pressure of the pumps 72 and 73. This is the high clamping pressure to adequately clamp the structural shapes 63 after the clamping cylinders 29, 47 and 48 have been moved inwardly at a moderate rate caused by the lower initial fluid pressure.

The small pump 73 delivering the incremental pressure to the set of side cylinders 48, but not to the side cylinders 47, is a means to independently control the pressure of the side cylinders 48 relative to the cylinders 47. The counterbalance valve 78, which maintains line pressure on the side cylinders 47 in preference to the vertical clamping cylinder 29, is a means to independently control the pressure of the cylinders 47 relative to the vertical clamping cylinders 29.

In the quenching fixture 12, there is only one rigid member rigid in the horizontal and vertical plane and this is the main girder 18. From this main girder 18, the rods 23 depend and the contact fingers 26 extend upwarly from the bottom of these rods 23. These contact fingers 26 are in groups and supported by a pair of rods 23 one on each side of the main girder 18. Thus each group of contact fingers 26 is individually adjustable by the threaded connection of the rods 23 to the main girder 18. Also the contact fingers 34 extend downwardly and are in groups supported by and moved by each of the vertical clamping cylinders 29 which in turn are carried on the main girder 18. Accordingly, this main girder 18 is the only rigid platen in the quenching fixture 12 from which the two reference planes of the contact fingers 26 and 34 are established. This single rigid platen of the main girder 18 is thus a saving over prior art quenching presses which have required two rigid co-acting platens, each of which is rigid in the horizontal and vertical directions. This is a saving of weight and this is important where the entire quenching fixture may weigh in the order of 200,000 pounds. It permits smaller quenching cylinders 22 because of less weight to be moved into and out of the quenching pit and permits faster operation at the entire quenching press 11 for the same size capacity.

The contact plates 43 and 44 are disposed in vertical planes in line with the vertical planes of the plates 24 and 32. This meansthat the side contact plates 43 and 44 may move inwardly toward any structural shape and pass between the plates and 33 which may be considered vertical arms carrying the fingers 26 and 34. This prevents interference between the first set of contact fingers so that the side contact fingers 45 and 46 may move in to engage a structural shape of any desired width. This is a big advantage over prior art systems which required changing some kind of die or stop fastened in a platen. Such dies or stops had to be fastened down and changed each time the transverse dimensions of a structural shape changed. In many steel mills, this might be as frequently as five to eight times per month, and it often took as long as ten hours to change the set of adaptors or stops for a different size structural shape. This lack of interference among all four sets of contact fingers, permits a universal quenching fixture able to accommodate an extremely wide variety of shapes and sizes of structural shapes 20. In many prior art quenching fixtures if the fixed transverse distances between stops in a die were of the right size to contain the beam when it was hot, then the beam shrank about of an inch upon cooling and would no longer contact the stops. This means such stops were of little use in holding the beam straight so that it would not warp or get out of shape. Conversely, if the stops were placed close enough together to be the right transverse spacing when it was cold, then it would have to be forced between the stops when the beam was hot and thus, on an I beam laid on its side. would make the flanges toe-in so that they were no longer parallel and thus this distorted the beam, which tended to stay in this position upon cooling. The present invention permits maintaining the flanges perpendicular to the web on the structural shape or the adjustable head 66 may be adjusted to hold the side fingers at any particular angle relative to the sets of vertical fingers 26 and 34.

It will thus be seen that the quenching fixture 12 is able to handle a variety of sizes without changing any holder adaptor for each size and cross-sectional shape. The horizontal side cylinders 47 and 48 maintain constant pressure regardless of width changes in the section due to temperature changes during cooling. The incremental pressure pump 73 plus the shut-olf valve 84 and counterbalance valve 78 permit control and adjustment of both the horizontal and vertical pressure independently to suit the needs of the particular section being treated. The fact that the horizontal cylinders 47 and 48 will move under a constant applied pressure and the fact that the adjustable stops 86 may be adjusted to establish any desired reference plane which may be other than a geometric fiat plane, permits the quenching fixture 12 to hold and quench structural shapes having a section change along the length thereof.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A quenching fixture, comprising, in combination a quenching frame,

a first set of groups of upwardly extending contact fingers on said quenching frame,

a second set of groups of downwardly extending contact fingers on said quenching frame,

first motive means on said quenching frame connected to move one of said sets away from and toward the other of said sets to contact upper and lower surfaces of a structural shape to be quenched,

means to establish said other of said sets in a first reference plane,

a third set of groups of side contact fingers on said quenching frame,

a fourth set of groups of side contact fingers on said quenching frame,

second motive means on said quenching frame connected to move one of said third and fourth sets generally horizontally away from and toward the other of said third and fourth sets to contact opposite side surfaces of any structural shape to be quenched,

third motive means on said quenching frame connected to move the other of said third and fourth sets of groups of side contact fingers, means in said first motive means to apply a first force substantially equally on each of said groups of contact fingers in said one of said first and second sets,

means in said second motive means to apply a sec- 0nd force substantially equally on each of said groups of contact fingers in said one of said third and fourth sets,

and means including physical stops on said quenching frame to establish said other of said third and fourth sets in a second reference plane generally perpendicular to said first reference plane, whereby said fingers may be moved toward each other by said motive means during a quenching operation as any said quenchable structural shape contracts during cooling to maintain the quenchable structural shape straight relative to said first and second reference planes.

2. A quenching fixture as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fixture has a longitudinal central axis transverse to the direction of motion of each of said first and second motive means,

a row of adaptors mounted along said longitudinal central axis of said upwardly extending contact fingers of said first set to permit said quenching frame to accommodate two quenchable structural shapes one on each side of said row of adaptors, one side of said row of adaptors being the physical stops to establish said other of said third and fourth sets in a second reference plane,

and the opposite side of said row of adaptors establishing, a third reference plane substantially parallel to said second reference plane against which said third motive means acts with a quenchable structural shape therebetween.

3. A quenching fixture, comprising, in combination, a

quenching frame,

a first set of groups of upwardly extending contact fingers on said quenching frame,

a second set of groups of downwardly extending contact fingers on said quenching frame,

first motive means on said quenching frame connected to move one of said sets away from and toward the other of said sets to contact upper and lower surfaces of a structural shape to be quenched,

means to establish said other of said sets in a first reference plane,

a third set of groups of side contact fingers on said quenching frame,

a fourth set of groups of side contact fingers on said quenching frame,

second motive means on said quenching frame connected to move one of said third and fourth sets generally horizontally away from and toward the other of said third and fourth sets to contact opposite side surfaces of any structural shape to be quenched,

means in said first motive means to apply a first force substantially equally on each of said groups of contact fingers in said one of said first and second sets,

means in said second motive means to apply a second force substantially equally on each of said groups of contact fingers in said one of said third and fourth sets,

means to establish said other of said third and fourth sets in a second reference plane generally perpendicular to said first reference plane, whereby said fingers may be moved toward each other by said motive means during a quenching operation as any said quenchable structural shape contracts during cooling to maintain the quenchable structural shape straight relative to said first and second reference planes,

a group of fingers in each said first and second sets including first plates disposed in a vertical plane and parallel to the direction of motion of said second motive means,

said contact fingers in said first and second sets being carried on each side of said plates disposed outside said vertical plane,

said third set including a vertically disposed side plate with a plurality of side contact fingers on the inner end of said plate,

and said side contact plate being disposed in said vertical plane with said first vertically disposed plate movable generally horizontally in between said contact fingers of said first and second sets upon said sets of fingers moving inwardly toward any said quenchable structural shape to permit such inward movement without interference of said third set with either said first or said second sets.

4. A quenching fixture as set forth in claim 3 wherein said fixture has a longitudinal central axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of each said first and second motive means,

a plurality of rows of vertical arms fixed on said first plates in each of said groups of said first and second sets,

a row of arms in said first set being vertically disposed in alignment with a row of arms in said second set,

said contact fingers in said first and second sets being carried on said rows of arms,

and said side contact plates being disposed in a vertical plane to be movable generally horizontally in between said arms of said first and second sets upon said sets of fingers moving inwardly toward any said quenchable structural shape to permit such inward movement without interference of said third set with either said first or said second sets.

5. A quench press, comprising, in combination, a fixed frame,

a quenching fixture guided on said fixed frame for generally vertical movements into and out of a quench pit,

quenching cylinders acting between said fixed frame and said quenching fixture to raise and lower said quenching fixture,

said quenching fixture including a main girder,

supporting plate means depending from said main girder and disposed generally horizontally,

a series of upright fingers carried on said supporting plate means and having the upper surfaces thereof .disposed generally in a horizontal plane as contact surfaces to contact a lower surface of a structural shape to be quenched,

a series of depending fingers carried on said main girder with the lower surfaces of said fingers disposed generally in a horizontal plane as contact surfaces to contact an upper surface of a structural shape to be quenched,

a set of vertical clamping cylinders acting between said main girder and said depending fingers to raise said depending fingers and to lower same under hydraulic pressure into contact finger engagement with any structural shape to be quenched.

a first set of side contact plates disposed along one side of said quenching fixture and carried dependently from said main girder,

a first set of horizontal cylinders connected to move said first set of side contact plates generally horizontally relative to said main girder into engagement with a first side surface of any structural shape to be quenched,

a second set of side contact plates disposed along the other side of said quenching fixture and carried dependently from said main girder,

a second set of horizontal cylinders connected to move said second set of side contact plates generally horizontally relative to said main girder into engagement with the opposite second side surface of any said structural shape to be quenched,

and means to control the fluid pressure applied to each of said sets of cylinders.

6. A quench press as set forth in claim 5, including adaptors received between said upright fingers along the longitudinal central axis of said movable frame to permit it to accommodate a quenchable structural shape on each side thereof to be received between the ends of said fingers.

7. A quench press as set forth in claim 5, including physical stop means for said second set of horizontal cylinders to establish the contact finger ends of said second set of contact plates in a reference plane to permit said quenchable structural shape to be urged against said reference plane by said first set of horizontal cylinders, whereby said first set of horizontal cylinders may move toward said reference plane and said set of vertical clamping cylinders may move downwardly during the quenching operation as any said quenchable structural shape contracts during cooling to maintain the quenchable structural shape straight relative to horizontal and vertical planes.

8. A quenching fixture, comprising, in combination, a quenching frame,

a first set of groups of upwardly extending contact fingers on said quenching frame, a second set of groups of downwardly extending contact fingers on said quenching frame, first motive means on said quenching frame connected to move one of said sets away from and toward the other of said sets to contact upper and lower surfaces of a structural shape to be quenched,

means to establish said other of said sets in a first reference plane,

a third set .of groups of side contact fingers on said quenching frame,

a fourth set of groups of side contact fingers on said quenching frame,

second motive means on said quenching frame connected to move one of said third and fourth sets generally horizontally away from and toward the other of said third and fourth sets to contact opposite side surfaces of any structural shape to be quenched,

means in said first motive means to apply a first force substantially equally on each of said groups of contact fingers in said one of said first and second sets,

means in said second motive means to apply a second force substantially equally on each of said groups of contact fingers in said one of said third and fourth sets,

means to establish said other of said third and fourth sets in a second reference plane generally perpendicular to said first reference plane, whereby said fingers may be moved toward each other by said motive means during a quenching operation as any said quenchablestructural shape contracts during cooling to maintain the quenchable structural shape straight'relative to said first and second reference planes,

a longitudinal central axis of said quenching fixture substantially perpendicular to the directions of each said first and second forces,

transporting rollers on said frame disposed between groupsof contact fingers in said first set,

and means dependently carrying a'roller from each of said groups of said second set to have relative motion between said rollers and said first set upon actuation of said first motive means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,106,888 10/1963 Chapleau ..100-232 FOREIGN PATENTS 611,344 3/1935 Germany.

I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner ROBERT D. BALDWIN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

